The Enduring Brotherhood
by Mulderette
Summary: Sam goes above and beyond to help Callen through some harrowing circumstances. **Spoilers for end of Season 8** Callen whump.
1. Chapter 1

Sam Hanna pulled his Challenger up to the front of the large, abandoned former candle factory. "I guess this is the place," he said, glancing at his partner as he turned off the ignition. The two men got out of the car and walked over to the front door of the building.

"Do you really think we're going to find anything here?" Callen asked skeptically as he put his hand on the door handle and pulled, finding the door to be unlocked. He and Sam took out their weapons and cautiously entered the building.

"I don't know," Sam replied as his eyes scanned the large room. "I guess there's always a chance they left a clue to where they were going next." The team had been assigned to search this building, which had been the last known hiding place of a wanted terrorist, Fadhil Tahan. Their intel told them he had left this area over a week ago, but they had been ordered to see if they could find anything of usefulness in the large, abandoned factory building. Kensi and Deeks were on their way to help them.

"Well at least…" Callen's words were cut off by a sudden volley of gunfire aimed in their direction. Both men rapidly dove for cover, however, Callen was hit in the process of doing so and he slumped to the floor. Sam quickly put out an SOS message to Kensi and Deeks on his com as he went to try to aid his fallen partner. However, he was immediately surrounded by a group of armed men.

"You will put your weapon on the floor and raise your hands in the air or suffer the same fate as your unfortunate friend." Sam immediately recognized the man speaking as Fadhil Tahan. Their intel had been right, but the timeline had been wrong. Him and G going into the building on their own was like a small child walking into a den of rabid wolves. Sam put his gun on the floor next to Callen's dropped weapon and raised his hands as instructed.

"And now, you will give me your communications devices, please," Fadhil asked with exaggerated politeness as he held out his hand. Sam took off his own and when Callen didn't respond, gently removed his partner's as well and then handed them to Fadhil who promptly stomped on them, crushing them with his boot. "And now, if you please, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Fadhil Tahan, but I suppose you already know that, yes? Otherwise, I doubt you would be here. And you work for NCIS?" he asked as his eyes went to the abbreviations on their body armor. "What is your name, please?"

Sam remained silent as he stared back at Fadhil defiantly.

"It would be wise for you to answer my questions, my friend," Fadhil said as he looked down at Callen with a sly smile, "or your partner will suffer some more unfortunate consequences which may not be pleasant for him to feel or for you to watch."

"Hanna," Sam said quickly. "Sam Hanna."

"So, Sam, how many others are here with you?"

"Your whole building is surrounded," Sam stated after a brief hesitation. "You should surrender now while you can."

"Why would we do that?" Fadhil asked, a tight smile on his face. "We have two hostages. Do your people care so little about you that they will allow you to be killed?" He glanced down at Callen who was writhing on the floor in pain. "Especially when one of you is in such poor shape? In any case, I'm not really sure that I believe you. If what you said was true, would we be standing here having this conversation out in the open? Where are all these people? I can't say I'm particularly impressed with their skills."

"They'll be in here soon enough," Sam said, his eyes and expression as cold as ice.

"Well they'll be disappointed when they do so, because you and your partner aren't going to be anywhere to be found," Fadhil said with a chuckle. He turned to some of the men around him. "Get him up off the floor."

"Leave him alone," Sam snarled, but he was ignored as two of Fadhil's men grabbed Callen by his arms and yanked him roughly from the floor. Callen groaned loudly at the sudden increase of pain as he was pulled along. Sam made a move to get his partner out of their clutches, but was quickly stopped by a gun shoved in his face.

"Carefully consider the consequences of any action you may take," Fadhil said. "Not only to you, but to your friend. Sometimes, inaction is the best course of action…"

"Maybe you should take your own advice," Sam stated. "You didn't need to shoot him. It was a very unnecessary action."

"Ah, my men are sometimes, shall I say, overzealous in their pursuit of keeping me safe. I am sorry for the inconvenience."

"Inconvenience? That's what you call shooting someone for no reason?" Sam asked.

"You and he had come to apprehend me, hadn't you?" Fadhil asked, his eyes steely as he stared at Sam. "I think that is a compelling reason to perhaps shoot someone. You both had your weapons drawn when you entered the building. You were perceived as a threat and treated as such. It was all quite logical."

The group of men stopped as Fadhil walked ahead of them and bent down. Sam watched as the man found a thumb-sized notch in the floor and pulled up a trap door. "Come on," he said, suddenly much more business-like. "We don't have much time."

One by one, they started down a stairway which led down into the darkness. Sam didn't like what was happening one bit, but had no idea of how to get himself and his partner out of the situation safely. He reached the bottom of the stairs and found that there were three different tunnels leading in separate directions. This situation was becoming more perilous with every tick of the clock. They started down the corridor directly ahead of them and had been walking for about 10 minutes when there was a loud sound which appeared to be an explosion.

"What the hell?" Sam exclaimed as the vibrations from the explosion reverberated throughout the tunnel.

Fadhil began to laugh. "Do not be alarmed," he said. "It was just a little bomb that was set to blow up a large portion of the building above us. So now you see why your colleagues may not be able to find you for quite some time. They're not going to have any idea where you are. As far as they're concerned, you and your partner have been blown to pieces…"

xxxxx

Deeks and Kensi arrived at the candle factory shortly after they had received Sam's SOS call. They had been instructed by Hetty not to enter the building until reinforcements had arrived. "What do you think happened?" Kensi asked as she and Deeks stood outside their vehicle, both anxious to go inside and do what they could do for their teammates.

Deeks shook his head. "I don't know, Kens…I mean, the intel was clear that Fadhil had moved on…unless…"

"Unless he hadn't?" Kensi asked, looking troubled by that possibility.

"Yeah, unless he hadn't," Deeks agreed with a nod.

"But, even so, if…" Kensi's words were cut off by the sudden explosion from inside the building. The percussion of the blast knocked them both to the ground. "Oh my God," Kensi said, her eyes filled with shock over what had happened.

Deeks slowly got to his feet and reached for Kensi's hand, helping her up. "Are you all right?" he asked her.

Kensi nodded, still staring at the badly damaged factory. "Yes…are you?"

"I'm good," Deeks answered grimly, his blue eyes also focused on the building. "I'm a lot better than anyone in there is…"

xxxxx

Finally, they stopped walking and the men holding up Callen, let him go, allowing him to slump to the ground. Sam immediately went to his partner and knelt down beside him. "G? G, can you hear me?" His eyes went to the area of bleeding at the bottom of Callen's protective vest. The bullet had just managed to find his lower abdomen, right where the protection had ended. "G?"

Callen managed to open his eyes and looked back at Sam. "Ni…nice mess we've gotten ourselves into," he whispered weakly.

"Don't worry, I'm going to get us out of this," Sam said with a reassuring tone he did not feel in the least. He looked over at Fadhil. "Do you have any bandages?" he asked. "I need to stop the bleeding."

"We need to remove the bullet," Fadhil said matter-of-factly, looking at Callen as if he was a specimen under a microscope. "Now is as good a time as ever."

"What?" Callen shook his head, his eyes widening anxiously. "No…no you don't. I'm good, thanks. I'll get that done when I leave here, by a real doctor in a hospital."

"Sometimes hospitals are not possible. This is one of those times." Fadhil smiled malevolently. "Don't worry. Your name is G? Don't worry, G, it will only hurt until you pass out. This is how we train our medical personnel. We have found that having them practice on our prisoners is ideal. They get experience and practice without them having to take chances on our own soldiers. If they make a mistake, it is no great loss. It is also entertaining to see how the patients react to the procedures. Some faint right away, others cry pitifully for their mothers, some beg and plead for their own deaths to escape the agony. I wonder how you will react…I look forward to this discovery."

"Don't touch me," Callen demanded, looking more than a little bit horrified by this latest development. He watched warily as two of Fadhil's men approached.

Sam quickly got in front of his partner. "Get the hell away from him," he snarled. "You're not touching him."

"Mustafa? Jahmir? Come here and make sure that Agent Hanna doesn't interfere with his friend's medical procedure."

Two large men, both musclebound and larger than Sam came toward him, both with menacing expressions on their faces

"Stay away from me!" Sam demanded, aiming a punch at the first man who moved within striking distance. He was easily grabbed and subdued though, his arms tightly held so that he was helpless to aid his partner. Callen tried to scurry away from the other two men approaching him, but he backed into the wall of the tunnel and was easily putty in their hands as they grabbed him and dragged him to his feet. "Leave him alone!" Sam yelled, but to no avail.

The two men were then once again forced through the tunnel, Sam struggling to escape the whole way while Callen basically struggled just to walk. There were a few times when his legs gave way and when that happened he was dragged. He felt dizzy and sick to his stomach and wanted to be anywhere other than where he was. Finally, they reached their destination, a room with a metal table with straps attached to the sides of it. "No," Callen said as he frantically tried to back away, but his weak struggles were easily thwarted. He was forced onto the table and his bulletproof vest was roughly removed. Then, his arms and legs strapped down and straps were placed over his hips and chest, effectively keeping him immobile. Callen was silent now, knowing any struggles on his part were absolutely futile. There was no escape from what was going to happen.

His gaze locked with Sam's who mouthed that he was sorry. His partner appeared utterly distressed by the situation. The one thing Callen knew with certainty was that Sam felt even worse than he did. He knew how he would feel if this was happening to his partner. "Not your fault," he whispered back. He then closed his eyes and began the mental task of trying to put himself into another time and place. He could not allow himself to think about what was about to happen to him.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks so much for the positive response to the first chapter of this one. I really appreciate the encouragement :) For those wondering about TG, I should hopefully update that mid-week. FTS is still giving me issues, but I'll get there. Thanks again everyone._

xxxxx

Sam watched, horrified as a youthful-appearing man, wearing blood-stained green hospital scrubs, walked into the room followed by a woman who carried a tray of assorted scalpels and other medical equipment. "Don't do this man," he said. "Please, just leave him alone." He would never beg for himself, but for Callen, for his brother, he would do anything. "Please…you can do whatever you want to me, just don't hurt him."

The two men holding Sam laughed, but no one responded to his pleas. Instead, they all watched with fascination as the man approached Callen and ripped apart the buttons on his shirt. He then chose one of the scalpels from the tray.

"What the hell, man!" Sam said, watching every move that was made. "Aren't you even using any kind of sterile solutions? What the hell are you doing to him?"

Fadhil had finally had enough of Sam's mouth. "If you know what's good for your partner, Agent Hanna, you will shut up now. For every word you speak, I will ask the good doctor here to give an extra jab to your partner. He will poke a scalpel through his kidney or perhaps lacerate his liver. Keep it up and he won't have a chance of making it off of this table alive."

Sam immediately went silent, realizing there wasn't a thing he could do for his friend. All he could do now was wait, watch and hope that this person, who he very much doubted was any kind of a real doctor, didn't kill him.

xxxxx

The first slice of the scalpel into his abdomen penetrated straight through Callen's nerve endings, effectively ending his attempts to try to block out what they were doing to him. His first instinct was to try to move away from the source of the pain, but of course, that was impossible. He had no choice but to cope with the agonizing torment as best as he could. He could feel every move of the scalpel, every time it went in a different direction or dug deeper into his abdomen. The pain was excruciating, but he was determined not to cry out or let out even a whimper. He wouldn't give these brutal monsters the satisfaction, nor did he want to increase Sam's anxiety over what was happening to him. He didn't believe that they were doing this for medical reasons. They were trying to keep him and his partner under control in the most brutal way possible. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and tried to focus on just getting through the pain. Finally, mercifully, it all became utterly too much for him and he lapsed into unconsciousness.

xxxxx

Sam gave a huge sigh of relief when Callen finally passed out. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off his partner during the procedure and he could easily see that Callen was in unbearable pain. He was so grateful that at least for now, he wouldn't be suffering. Still, with the unsanitary conditions, he knew infection was much more a probability than a possibility and that getting his friend out of this situation in a timely manner was necessary if he was to have a chance of getting through this nightmare alive.

xxxxx

When the procedure was completed, Sam watched as Fadhil's men unbuckled the straps around Callen's unconscious form, freeing him from the table.

"You did well, Ghadir." Fadhil smiled encouragingly at the young man who had removed the bullet from Callen. He then turned towards Sam. "You see, we are not the monsters you make us out to be. This was strictly a training exercise in which your friend was able to provide us with a useful platform for learning purposes. It should also make you proud that G came through it like a man. He did not cry or whimper the way so many of them do."

"Do you really think I'd care if he did?" Sam asked in disgust. "I would never think less of him, no matter what."

"Really?" Fadhil seemed to ponder that and then shrugged, seeming not to understand that point of view.

"Can I carry him?" Sam asked. He didn't want any of these bastards to lay another finger on Callen if it could be avoided.

"Go ahead," Fadhil said, laughing. "Better you than us."

Sam went to the table and as gently as he could lifted Callen into his arms. He couldn't help but notice that his partner looked frighteningly pale and he said a silent prayer for his eventual recovery. "Move it!" Fadhil said to him as he waved a gun in his direction. They then started back down the hallway and walked for about 15 minutes until they reached a metal door.

"This is the end of the road for you, my friend," Fadhil said.

Sam looked at the door warily, his imagination going into overdrive as he wondered what was behind it. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"We have no further need of you or your friend. He proved most useful in advancing Ghadir's medical training. You must admit, he performed admirably in removing the bullet from your friend. However, now, it is time for us to take our leave of this place and make our escape. This was always our plan, however, you and G just caused us to alter our time frame a bit."

Sam didn't bother to comment about the less than sterile environment, realizing it would do nothing to help their situation. "So now what?" he asked.

Fadhil opened the door and aimed his weapon at Sam. "Now you will step inside this room, my friend, or suffer consequences that will be quite devastating, I assure you."

Realizing that he had no choice other than to do what Fadhil had ordered, Sam walked into the room which was a small cell, about six by six feet. It was completely empty. Before he even had a chance to do anything other than take a quick glance at the room, Fadhil spoke. "I wish you and your friend a happy and prosperous life, Sam." The door was then slammed and he and Callen were plunged into darkness.

"Wait! You can't just leave us here!" Sam shouted. "You can't leave us with nothing! No water or blankets, seriously? Not even a damn flashlight? After what you just did to him? Some medical training! You train people and then leave their patients to die?"

No one answered Sam. Instinctively, he knew that Fadhil and his men were gone and they would not be returning. He lowered Callen down to the floor then felt around for the door to see if he could open it. However, he could not even feel a handle on the inside. "Damn it!" He banged on the door in frustration then slowly made his way back to where Callen was, taking care not to accidentally kick or step on him. He sat down and carefully eased his partner into his arms then pulled him up so that Callen's back was resting against his chest. He then wrapped his arms around him in an attempt to keep him warm. It was pretty much the only thing he could do for him now.

xxxxx

When he first started to come to, the first thing Callen realized was that he was freezing. He immediately started to shiver then he felt Sam's arms around him and he realized that he was lying against his partner's chest. He opened his eyes but he couldn't see a thing. "Sam?" he whispered. "Where are we?"

"Hey buddy, how are you doing?" Sam asked, grateful that Callen had regained consciousness.

"Well…I can't see anything. I'm really hoping it's just dark wherever we are and that I'm not blind," Callen replied, only partly in jest. "Wh…where are we?" he asked again.

"They locked us in a cell, G," Sam said, tightening his grasp around Callen's shivering form. "There's no light at all in here. I can't see anything either. I'm sorry. I know you're cold. I wish I had a blanket for you."

"I…I'll be okay," Callen said, barely able to keep his teeth from chattering.

"I know you will," Sam said. "You're going to be fine."

Callen was silent for a short amount of time then he spoke again. "So…did they get the bullet out?" he asked.

"Yeah, they got it," Sam replied.

"I guess that's something," Callen said. He let out an inadvertent whimper as a particularly sharp bolt of pain shot through his abdomen. "Sorry," he murmured.

"Why are you sorry?" Sam asked in genuine confusion. "You don't have anything at all to be sorry about, G. I know you're in a lot of pain."

"I just…I don't want to make things worse for you."

"What are you talking about? You're not making anything worse," Sam said. "I want you to tell me the truth about how you're feeling, okay? No sugar coating."

"I'm sorry I got you into this," Callen said softly, not agreeing to Sam's request.

"You didn't," Sam said.

"Yes, I did. I know it's because of me that we're in this mess. You wouldn't have been captured if you hadn't been trying to help me."

"Come on, man…It's not your fault. I want you to stop thinking like that. You need to be focusing all your energy on getting well, okay?"

Callen didn't say anything which worried Sam more than he wanted to admit. "G? Did you hear me?"

"I heard you, Sam," Callen said quietly. "I'll try."

"You need to do more than try," Sam said. His thoughts were going places he didn't want them to go. He was trying not to think of the enclosed space they were locked in. Although it wasn't the same as when he and Brian, one of his Navy seal teammates, had been buried alive in Bosnia, he couldn't help but dwell on the similarities. That situation had ended badly. He wasn't sure he'd be able to get through it if this one ended like that. "I need you, buddy. You need to hang tough."

Callen remained silent which worried Sam. He didn't like that he couldn't see his partner's expression which would help him to get a better idea of G's condition and where his head was at...not that he was under any illusion that his partner was doing particularly well. "You asleep?" Sam finally whispered.

"No… How long do you think before they find us?" Callen asked.

"I don't know," Sam admitted. "Hopefully not too long. You know our team, G…they're persistent. They're not going to give up on us."

"Yeah, I know, Sam," Callen said. He remained quiet again for a short time before speaking again. "Are you doing okay?"

"Me? I'm not the one who was shot."

"I know, but, I also know this isn't exactly your idea of a fun situation," Callen said. At the moment, he was inwardly fighting to stay still. The pain he was in was starting to go beyond what he could cope with. "You're thinking about Brian, aren't you?"

"What? No," Sam lied.

"Yes you are…I know it's not the same, but…It's not that different either." Callen's breathing was getting harsher. "I…I need to move," he said, suddenly struggling to free himself from his partner's grasp, badly needing to change his position.

Sam quickly let go of Callen. "I'm sorry, G," he said.

Callen moved away from his partner and curled onto his side on the ice-cold floor. He pillowed his head against his right arm and pressed his left arm over his abdomen as he unsuccessfully tried to block out some of the pain. He couldn't ever remember hurting this badly before. At least when he'd been shot on Venice Beach he'd passed out and spent much of the time while hospitalized warm and in a drug-induced haze.

"G? What can I do for you?" Sam asked, a note of desperation in his voice, willing to do anything in his power to help his friend.

"I…I don't know," Callen admitted. "I…I don't think there's anything you can do…"

Sam tentatively reached out into the darkness and his hand landed on his partner's back. He then moved so that he could curl up behind him and once again attempt to keep Callen at least a little bit warmer. "I'm right here with you, G," he said. "You're not alone."

Callen closed his eyes, Sam's presence making him feel a little bit better, and finally he was able to drop off to sleep.

xxxxx

From the evenness of Callen's breathing, Sam could tell that his partner had finally fallen asleep. He wished he could think of some way out of this hellhole. He didn't know how long G would be able to last without some proper medical attention. As hard as he tried to keep them at bay, images of Brian kept invading his thoughts. He couldn't even imagine if something like that was to happen to his best friend. He and Brian had been teammates, comrades in arms and close just by the definition of the missions they had gone through together, but it was nothing like his relationship with G. "You need to get through this, buddy," he whispered. "You have to." Now that Michelle was gone from his life, his team and Callen meant everything to him. He had always been willing to give his life for any one of them, but now, especially, he just knew he couldn't lose his partner…his brother. "You need to keep fighting, please G…for me…"

xxxxx

They were hungry, filthy and exhausted, but Deeks, Kensi, Eric and Nell remained single-minded in their determination to find Callen and Sam, hopefully alive. They were working nonstop along with the rescue team who had been assembled to search for their missing team members. So far, two bodies had been found in the rubble from the explosion, but luckily, it had been easily determined that neither of the bodies bore any resemblance to their friends. Even with the less than favorable odds, each of them refused to give up hope that somehow Callen and Sam had managed to survive the blast.

Deeks and Eric picked up a large piece of wood and tossed it aside as Kensi came over to them, carrying two bottles of water. "Here guys," she said handing one to each of them. "You don't want to get dehydrated."

Both men stopped momentarily as they took the water and gratefully sipped it. "I wonder where they are," Kensi asked, verbalizing the thought in all of their heads. "Callen was already hurt before the explosion. If we don't find him soon…" She trailed off, knowing that the hopes of finding either of their teammates alive after this explosion were extremely slim. Sam's SOS message had been brief, but they knew that Callen had been shot and the situation was dire.

Deeks was the one to find it, after about another hour or so of fruitless searching. His eyes widened with hope as he came across the small notch in the floor. "Hey guys, look at this," he called out. Kensi, Eric and Nell came over and helped to clear the rest of the debris from the trap door. "Maybe we have a reason to be hopeful after all," Deeks said, his eyes bright as he pulled open the door and the team peered through the opening at the stairway leading downward into darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks to those of you who are reading and who have commented on the first couple of chapters of this one. I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow so this will be the last thing I post until I get back. Hope you like it :)_

xxxxx

"Papa? Papa, it hurts. Please help me."

"Shh…it's okay, G," Sam said as he rubbed Callen's back in a soothing, circular motion. "Everything's going to be all right. I'm right here." He gently placed his hand on Callen's forehead and was grateful that it wasn't overly warm. It broke his heart that his partner was calling for Garrison in his dreams. He'd spent most of his life searching for the man and then, once he found him, Garrison was usually nowhere to be seen. He hadn't taken the interest in his son's life that Sam had expected he would. If G was his son, he would have bent over backwards to try to make up for what he had done to him. G certainly hadn't deserved the crappy childhood hand he had been dealt. Garrison didn't seem to think that way though and Sam knew there would always be that little boy inside of Callen that wondered why his father had abandoned him the way he had. Sometimes Sam wanted to say something to the man, berate him for the way he treated his friend, but he was afraid it could make things worse and not better. He didn't want to do anything that would further widen the gap between father and son.

Suddenly, Sam could feel Callen struggling to sit up and his partner then moved away from him. "Whoa, G, are you all right?" Sam asked.

"Sam?" Wh…where are we? Wh…what happened to me?" Callen asked, confused and disoriented by the total darkness he found himself in.

"Calm down, buddy, it's okay," Sam said, using his most reassuring tone of voice. "You were shot, remember? Fadhil locked us in this cell."

Callen shuddered as the memories slowly returned and he recalled the procedure that had been performed on him. "I remember," he said softly, a slight tremor in his voice, wishing he could forget.

"How are you doing?" Sam felt like it was a stupid question, knowing that his partner was not doing well at all, but he needed to ask.

"I…I'm fine." Callen squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to think about the pain in his belly, but it was constant and intense and he couldn't get it out of his head. He whimpered softly, before he realized it and then froze, hoping Sam hadn't heard him, but knowing that he had. He also couldn't get rid of the bone-chilling cold he was feeling. He wished he could wrap himself up in a warm blanket.

"G…come over here with me," Sam requested softly. "I know you're freezing. How long have we been friends for? It's nothing to be embarrassed about.

"I'm not," Callen denied.

Sam wasn't sure whether G was denying that he was cold or that he was embarrassed. "Well then, come here. Let me help you warm up a little. It's the least I can do for you." It was pretty much the only thing that he could do for his ailing friend.

Unable to stop shivering, Callen inched his way over to the direction of Sam's voice. He hated being perceived as weak and that was exactly how he felt right now. Finally, he reached his partner and Sam gently pulled his partner in closer, taking care not to hurt him any more than he was already hurt. "I've got you, G," Sam said. "Everything's going to be okay. Somehow, we're going to get out of this."

Sam drew Callen up against his chest as he had done earlier and wrapped his arms around him. Callen quickly forgot about any self-consciousness he had been feeling as he definitely felt warmer when he was nestled against his partner. "Wish someone would find us," Callen murmured. "I've got to admit, you do make a good pillow, Sam, though a little more padding would be nice."

Sam chuckled, glad to see his friend still had his sense of humor in spite of everything that had happened to him. He took it as a sign that he was still fighting. "Let me know if you get uncomfortable in this position. I'll help you change it up."

"Okay."

They were then quiet for a little while. Sam was unsure if his partner was asleep. "G…you awake?" he whispered.

"Yeah…can't sleep…" What he didn't say was that he was afraid to sleep, afraid that he wouldn't wake up.

"You should try…"

"Just talk to me, Sam," Callen requested softly.

"Okay," Sam said agreeably. "What would you like me to talk about?"

"Tell me something about your childhood," Callen decided after briefly pondering Sam's question. "Tell me a happy story."

Sam wasn't sure if that was a very good idea or not. He had no idea what Callen's current state of mind was and if telling him a story, which would likely be the direct opposite of anything in Callen's own childhood, was wise. However, he didn't want to deny him anything he asked for either.

"Okay…a happy story…let me think…Oh I've got one." He let his memories carry him back to a time when he was much younger and definitely much more innocent. "I was in the fourth grade and some people from the humane society came into our classroom to talk to us about the animals in the shelter."

"Uh oh," Callen said, smiling sleepily as he already had an idea where the story might be going.

"Yeah, uh oh is right," Sam said, chuckling slightly at the memory. "That night at dinner, the rescue dogs were all I could talk about it. I remember my dad wanted no part of it, but my mom was on my side. She said that every boy should have a dog. Finally, she talked him into it. My dad definitely had a soft spot when it came to my mom. So, long story short, that weekend we went to the animal shelter and I picked out my brand new puppy."

"What was his name?" Callen asked.

"Rocco," Sam recalled. "He was a bad ass little guy, just a mutt, but damn I loved that dog. He used to follow me around everywhere."

"That's really nice," Callen said. He'd never gotten the chance to have a dog. Some of the foster homes he'd been in had dogs, but he'd never really even attempted to become overly friendly with them, knowing he would only be there temporarily and that it would just bring on heartache when he left. "I never asked Hetty for a dog…I wonder if she would have let me have one…"

"She probably would have," Sam said, though admittedly unsure. Although he knew Callen had been taken in by Hetty, his partner never really talked about those years. There was still so much he didn't know about him.

"Maybe…I don't know…" The distraction from the story was starting to wear off as Callen squirmed in Sam's arms, trying to get comfortable.

"Do you need to move?" Sam asked, letting go of his partner.

Callen didn't answer Sam. Instead, he just clutched his abdomen with his hands and took a few deep breaths.

"G?"

"I…I'm all right, Sam," Callen said. Feeling nauseous and dizzy, he leaned back against his partner again. "Tell me about your mom."

"You know my mom, G," Sam said. "My mom loves you." It was true. The few times they had been at the same family functions, Sam's mother had been enchanted by his partner. "She thinks you're ever so handsome and sweet."

"Was she a cookie mom?" Callen asked drowsily as he allowed his eyes to close.

"A cookie mom?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, you know, did she bake you cookies?" Callen asked. "Did you lick the batter off the spoon? Do all that fun kid stuff?" He recalled one foster mom, Mrs. Elliot who had let him do things like that. She had actually taken a liking to him. He'd probably been seven or so and she'd read to him, cuddled with him and made him cookies and brownies. He hadn't been there for very long though. He had no idea why he had been taken out of that home. He would have stayed there forever if he could have. It had been one of the best homes he had ever been in. It had been the direct opposite of Mrs. Burnett. She had made him pay when he had licked the spoon while her back was turned. She had viciously slapped him, sending him straight to the floor and then she had kicked him around a bit before sending him to his room. He'd never tried to lick a spoon again after that had happened.

"Oh, yeah, she used to bake me cookies," Sam replied. "At least once a week I'd come home and the house would smell like a bakery. She always made them from scratch too, she didn't believe in cooking out of a box."

"That must have been nice…"

"It was…it was nice," Sam said, wondering if this was all too much for his partner.

"I wish I knew where my mom was," Callen blurted out suddenly.

"You mean where she's buried?" Sam asked, the comment taking him by surprise. It wasn't anything he had ever thought of before concerning his partner's mother. Callen had certainly never spoken of it. It scared Sam as he wondered just how badly off G was.

"Yes," Callen answered quietly. "I have no idea where she's buried…" He didn't know anything, the cemetery, what part of the country she had been buried in or even if she had been formally buried. She could have been cremated…she could be somewhere in an unmarked grave. The last thought haunted him at the times he allowed himself to dwell on it, which wasn't very often. It was too painful to let his mind go there.

Sam swore he could hear the sadness in G's voice. "I'm sure we could find out."

"No…I actually had Eric try to find out for me last year…after I, after we found Garrison," Callen said. "He couldn't find her."

"Tell you what…as soon as you've recovered enough to travel, you and I will go to Romania and try to find her, okay?" Sam asked.

Callen didn't respond to Sam, not really believing he was serious about what he had said. Sam thought maybe his partner had fallen asleep. "G? Are you sleeping?" he asked softly.

"No…"

"So, what do you think? How about you and I head to Romania when you're feeling better?"

Callen shook his head. "Why would you want to do that?" he asked.

Sam sighed loudly. "I'm going to pretend you didn't ask me that question, G," he said. "You're my best friend in the world. Why wouldn't I want to do that?"

"I don't know…it just seems like a whole lot of trouble when we might not even be able to find her…"

"What about Garrison?" Sam asked.

"What about him?" Callen asked, sounding guarded.

"Do you think that maybe he knows where she is?"

"I doubt it… Anyhow…I don't even know where he is half the time. He's not around much these days…" Callen wasn't even sure why his so-called father was in the United States, unless it was to spend time with his sister and nephew. It certainly wasn't because he wanted to spend time with him. He suddenly felt inexplicably sad and could feel his eyes beginning to fill. He didn't even bother to try to stop the tears from falling. It was one thing that the darkness was good for. Sam couldn't see his tears. He wondered if his father would even care if he died. He doubted that he would.

"G? Are you okay?" Sam asked quietly, even though he knew that he wasn't.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Sam."

"Why don't you try to sleep?"

"Not tired," Callen said, which wasn't true. At this point, he could barely keep his eyes open. He knew he was being stubborn and stupid. If he slept, at least he could temporarily escape the pain which seemed to be worsening.

"Whatever you say, G," Sam said softly as he started to stroke Callen's head soothingly.

"Cut it out, Sam" Callen said. "I'm not a little kid." He was trying to be annoyed with his friend, but his eyes were closing in spite of his attempts to fight against what Sam was doing. "I…I need to stay awake. You're not playing fair…"

"Try to relax, buddy," Sam said. "Just sleep, G…I'm going to be right here with you. I'll keep you safe."

"Don't need to sleep…I have…I have to try to stay awake…" Callen murmured, just before he drifted off.

"Good boy," Sam said affectionately, once he had recognized the familiar change in his partner's breathing which told him he truly was finally sleeping. He knew his partner would balk at the comment if he heard him. "I really thought things were going to get better for you when you found your dad. I know he's hurt you badly, but maybe there's still a chance that thin **gs** will get better between the two of you." He hoped so. He really wanted his friend to regain even a little piece of the life he had lost. "As for your mom…The first thing we have to do is get out of this mess and get you better. Then, I'm going to help you find where she's buried, G. You've always asked for so little in your life…this is one thing I'm going to do for you. You and me…We'll go and find your mom together…"


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry I've been so slow about updating. Except for the post scene to Mountbanke that I wrote when I was away, I haven't been able to write much since I got back. I came home with a bad case of bronchitis, which I'm still trying to shake (stayed home from work today) Anyhow, I've been working on this a little at a time and finally got this chapter finished (such as it is). Thanks for reading and your comments, as always._

 _Also, special thanks to_ _NCISLA FAN_ _and the guest reviewers who I couldn't respond to personally. I really appreciate your comments._

xxxxx

Sam dozed off for a bit until Callen began to whimper and move about restlessly in his arms as he awoke. "G?" he asked softly.

"Yeah…I'm still here," Callen replied.

"Do you need to move?" Sam asked worriedly. He couldn't help but notice that his partner's voice was noticeably weakening.

"No…I'm good," Callen replied, trying to breathe through yet another attack of pain as it propelled through his abdomen. At the moment he was longing for a hospital bed, warm blanket and some really good drugs. Inadvertently, he started shivering again and felt Sam tighten his grasp on him. "This really sucks."

"I know it does. You just hang in there, okay? I've got a really good feeling that they're going to find us any minute now. I'm right here with you. Just hang in there, G…for me," Sam desperately pleaded. He couldn't let his partner give up. He couldn't bear the thought of the alternative.

Callen just nodded and closed his eyes again, too exhausted to even reply. He really was trying to do as Sam asked, not wanting to leave his partner alone the way he had been left when Brian had died all those years ago. Unfortunately, he just wasn't sure how much control he had over the situation at this point. He knew his condition was deteriorating and that he was beginning to fade. He also knew Sam was really worried and he made one more attempt to stay alert and engage his partner in some kind of conversation. However, he just couldn't do it and slowly lost his grip on consciousness.

"G?" His hand shaking, Sam felt for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when he got one, albeit very fast and not at all what he knew to be normal for his partner. He found himself clutching G even more closely as if holding him this way would somehow keep him safe. Then, he found himself staring upward, even though he was only looking into blackness.

"Michelle?" Sam's voice broke as he said her name and he could already feel the tears starting to overflow and begin to trickle down his cheeks. "I don't know whether you're up there somewhere watching over me and the kids…I hope you are. Anyhow, if you can hear me somehow, well…you know how much we miss you. I love you, baby and I think about you every single day. The kids miss you too. Aiden and Kam are both doing well in their new schools, but…I know they think about you all the time. It's been hard without you, especially with the kids being away…If it wasn't for this guy here… I'm not really sure how I'd be getting through all this." He placed his hand on Callen's head and affectionately ruffled his hair. "I have no idea how things work in this universe, but if you have any input or influence wherever you may be…you know how much I need him. I'm not sure that I'll be able to take it if anything happens to him. If I lose him after losing you…it's just too much baby…so if you can help…I…I'd really appreciate it."

He then closed his eyes and began to pray for all he was worth that help would get to them soon and that G's life would be spared.

xxxxx

"How long do you think these tunnels go on for?" Kensi asked. She and Deeks were part of a team that had gone straight ahead at the bottom of the staircase. Eric and Nell had gone off with another team to the left and yet another team had headed to the right. At least all the bases were being covered. Hopefully, one of the teams would be successful.

"I don't know," Deeks said, shaking his head. "But hopefully they're still down here. If they take them out of here…"

"We don't know how badly Callen's hurt," Kensi said. "Won't he slow them down?"

"Maybe he wasn't hurt that badly," Deeks said, trying to be positive. He didn't want to think about what they might do to Callen if he was slowing them down and was considered to be a liability. They came upon a room and Deeks and Kensi entered with the other two men in their team following behind.

"What the hell…" Deeks said as his eyes fell on the metal table with the straps attached. He shivered slightly, not thinking of any good reason why such a table would be there.

"Deeks look." Kensi pointed underneath the table where a bloody scalpel lay. She put on a pair of gloves and picked it up, then placed it into an evidence bag. "This can't be good," she said.

"No…I don't think any of this is what we could term to be good," Deeks said.

"What do you think this…" Kensi trailed off, not finishing her question.

Deeks shook his head grimly. "I don't know, Kensi," he said. "I really don't know what to think about any of this." The images in his head were not good ones though. A table with straps and a bloody scalpel only caused his imagination to go into overdrive with thoughts of people being strapped down and tortured in countless horrific ways. He badly hoped the images in his mind were just that, images with no basis in reality. He prayed that Callen or Sam hadn't been forced to undergo any torture here. The bloody scalpel did give him cause for concern though and he shuddered as memories of his own torture came to the forefront. He felt Kensi take his hand as she looked at him intently and he squeezed her hand and managed a smile, not wanting to worry her. They then left the room to continue their search.

xxxxx

"I wonder what the purpose of all these tunnels was?" Nell asked as she and Eric trailed behind the other three men whose team they had been assigned to.

Eric shook his head. "I don't know…whatever it was, they've been here for a really long time…"

"How do you think Fadhil even found out about them?"

Eric shrugged. "How do any of these lowlifes find out some of the things they seem to know…" He hated when he felt like they were being bested. In this case, he felt very much behind the game and was unhappy that Callen had been wounded. He just hoped he wasn't hurt too badly.

"Eric?" Nell looked up at him with concern. "This wasn't our fault. We did the best we could with the information we were given. We couldn't have known Fadhil and his men were still here."

Eric shook his head. "I don't know, Nell…I can't help but feel like I missed something I should have been aware of. Then we would have had a lot more people on this…not just our team…it wasn't enough…they all could have been killed…"

"Let's just concentrate on finding Callen and Sam," Nell said as she looked up at him through sympathetic eyes. "Blaming ourselves isn't going to help anything."

Eric nodded. "You're right," he said solemnly. "Finding them is the most important thing right now."

xxxxx

"Kens…" Deeks pointed at the door with the padlock attached to it. "Anyone in here?" he shouted as he banged on the door with his fist.

"Deeks! Deeks! We're here!" Sam's voice answered.

"Hold tight, Sam," Deeks called back. "We'll be right in there." Even as he spoke, Kensi was already in the process of picking the lock which she succeeded in doing in just seconds. She then opened the door and they stepped into the cell, their flashlight beams shining on Sam and his unconscious partner. Immediately, one of the men on their team was already on his sat phone requesting the paramedics as Deeks squatted down beside them. "Are you alright, Sam?" he asked, but his eyes were on Callen and his expression was grim as he took in how pale Callen appeared and the bloody bandages that were covering his abdomen.

"I'm fine. G's the one I'm worried about."

"What did they do to him?" Kensi asked. She walked over to the opposite side from Deeks and knelt down on the floor. She then gently took Callen's hand. "You're going to be okay, Callen," she said softly. "We're here now. Everything is going to be fine. You're going to be fine."

"How long for the paramedics?" Sam asked tensely. "He can't wait. He needs help now."

"It shouldn't be too long," Deeks said, speaking soothingly to his obviously distraught teammate. "They'll hurry, but…do you think we're able to move him? It would be faster if we met them. Then they won't have to come so far into the tunnel."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Can you help me with him?" Deeks nodded and carefully lifted Callen away from his partner so Sam could get up off the floor.

"How do you want to do this?" Deeks asked.

"I'll just carry him," Sam said. "You guys don't have any blankets, do you?"

Deeks shook his head as did the others in the room. "I can help you with him," Deeks said.

Sam quickly shook his head. "Thanks, Deeks, but I can do it. I think it's easier for one person to do it anyhow without a gurney."

"Okay, well let me know if you need a break."

Sam nodded as he once again cautiously lifted Callen into his arms. "You just need to hang on for me a little bit longer buddy," he whispered. "Our team found us. You're going to get some help really soon." He spoke a little bit louder, addressing his comment to Deeks who was walking beside him. "I don't suppose you found any sign of Fadhil and his men?"

"Sorry Sam," Deeks said, shaking his head. "They've vanished…for now anyhow."

Sam nodded. It was about what he'd expected. Selfishly, the fact that he and G had been found was pretty much all he was thinking about at the moment…that, and getting G some much needed medical attention. Now that he was carrying his partner and they were bathed in the glow of the flashlights, he could see that he did not look very good at all. The amount of blood on the outside of the bandage was alarming and his partner was very, very pale.

"He'll be okay, Sam," Deeks said.

Sam gave a half smile to the younger man. "Are you a mind reader now, Deeks?" he asked.

"No, it's just pretty obvious where your thoughts are."

"Yeah…yeah, I guess it is," Sam admitted.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Sam, but really wasn't very long at all, they met up with the paramedics. Sam gently laid Callen down on the stretcher and watched as the paramedics gave him a perfunctory exam and set up an IV. He also gave them a summary of what had happened to his partner.

"Okay, we're going to transport him to UCLA Medical Center," one of the paramedics informed the team when Callen was ready to go.

"Wait, can I ride with him?" Sam asked, his eyes pleading as he asked the question.

"Yeah, sure," the paramedic answered with a nod. "Let's go."

"I'll see you guys later," Sam said to Kensi and Deeks.

Deeks nodded as he squeezed Sam's shoulder encouragingly and Kensi gave him a hurried hug. "Good luck," Deeks said. "We'll meet you over there."

"Thanks guys…for everything. I'll see you at the hospital," Sam said as he turned to follow the paramedics and his partner who were already moving rapidly towards the exit to the tunnel.

"What do you think?" Kensi asked Deeks as they followed behind.

Deeks shook his head. "I don't know… I was cringing when Sam told the paramedics what was done to Callen. Hopefully, they didn't do even more damage to him than what the bullet did."

"I know," Kensi said, nodding in agreement. She couldn't imagine how hard this was on Sam either. She knew it would have been torturous for him to have to helplessly watch what they had done to his best friend.

"I just hope we found them in time and Callen will pull through."

Kensi nodded as she looked ahead and could see that the paramedics were already moving Callen's stretcher up the stairs. "He just has to be okay," she whispered as they both automatically picked up their pace.


	5. Chapter 5

_As always, thanks for reading and supporting this story._

xxxxx

He awoke in the ambulance. Totally disoriented by the sound of the siren, combined with the unwanted touch of hands on his abdomen and unrelenting pain, Callen cried out, "let me go!" His blue eyes opened and he panicked as he saw yet another stranger hovering over him. "Let me go," he repeated and he started to struggle when he realized he was once again strapped down.

"G." Sam moved into Callen's field of vision. He spoke soothingly, trying to alleviate his partner's fears as he took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "You're okay, buddy. I'm right here with you. You're in the ambulance. We're just heading to the hospital. Everything's fine."

The paramedic who had been working on Callen had backed off and Sam's presence immediately began to calm Callen down. "Sam? Don't leave me."

"I'm not leaving you, G. I'm going to be right here, okay? We're safe now."

Callen nodded, focused on Sam as the settings on his monitors began to normalize and he closed his eyes once again.

xxxxx

Kensi and Deeks walked into the crowded ER waiting room and looked around until they spotted Sam sitting in the far corner of the room. He was hunched over with his elbows on his knees and his face buried in his hands. They shared a wary look as they approached him.

"Sam?" Kensi spoke first when they reached him. "Is everything okay?"

Sam raised his head and straightened as he looked up at his two junior teammates. He appeared exhausted. "They wouldn't let me stay with him after I promised him I would." He shook his head, remembering the scene on the way to the hospital. "He regained consciousness and totally freaked out in the ambulance."

Deeks was carrying a tray of coffee cups and he passed one to Sam before he and Kensi sat down next to him. "You can't really blame him, Sam…if what happened to him happened to me, I'm pretty sure I'd freak out too."

Sam nodded sadly. "It never should have happened to him…getting shot was bad enough, but the rest of it? I should have found a way to prevent it…"

"You're not superman, Sam," Kensi said. "You were outnumbered by Fadhil and his men and they were armed. What could you have done?"

Sam shook his head. He didn't think he'd ever be able to erase the memories of his partner strapped to a table and basically being butchered in front of his eyes. "Something…" he whispered. "He shouldn't have gone through that. I don't…I don't think I've ever felt as helpless as I did when they hurt him that way and I couldn't do a damn thing for him, except for..." He didn't finish the sentence. He knew that Kensi and Deeks understood that he was talking about Michelle.

"It's not your fault, Sam," Deeks stated. He understood the way Sam was feeling though. If anything like that was to ever happen to Kensi and he was powerless to help her, he wasn't sure what he would do. He knew he would have a very hard time coping with that.

"Agent Hanna?" Three pairs of eyes met the eyes of the ER doctor who suddenly appeared in front of them.

"How is he?" Sam asked anxiously.

"Right now he's holding his own," the doctor replied. "We've stabilized him and I just wanted to let you know that they're bringing him up to surgery soon. They need to make sure no serious damage was done to him with getting shot and the bullet extraction you described."

"Where can we wait?" Sam asked.

"Fifth floor," the doctor replied. "Just take the elevators down that hallway and follow the signs on the fifth floor. There's a waiting room with some vending machines. Also, the cafeteria is on the third floor if you want to get something to eat."

"Thanks very much, doctor," Sam said.

"Good luck with your partner," the doctor said. "I hope everything works out well for him."

Sam nodded and watched as the doctor walked away. He then turned his attention to Kensi and Deeks. "You two don't have to stay," he said quietly. "I can let you know as soon as G is out of surgery."

"We're staying here, Sam," Deeks said adamantly.

"We're not leaving you alone," Kensi emphasized. "Besides, we care about Callen too, very much."

"I know you care about him…thanks guys," Sam said, nodding. "I guess maybe we should go get something to eat? I think we may have a long wait ahead of us." He didn't feel quite right about heading to the cafeteria first, but truthfully he was hungry and knew getting something into his stomach would likely do him some good and increase his energy and stamina to better be able to be there for his partner.

"I think that's a good idea," Deeks said, nodding.

The three team members went up the cafeteria and got some food then found an empty table and sat down together. "So, Sam," Kensi said after eating a few bites of her salad. "Were you hurt at all? I mean…should you get checked out?"

Sam quickly shook his head. "They didn't do anything to me," he said with a heavy-hearted sigh. "Honestly, I wish they would have if it would have spared G some of what he went through."

"You know it doesn't work like that, Sam," Deeks said. "Of course they were going to go after Callen. He was the much easier target once they shot him. They used him to keep you under control."

"Yeah…I hate that they do that." Sam sighed again and took a spoonful of soup. He made a face after swallowing it though and pushed the bowl off to the side. "You'd think soup in a hospital wouldn't be so salty," he commented.

"You should get something else," Kensi said. "Do you want some of my salad? It's pretty good."

Sam shook his head. "I'll just go get a sandwich," he said. "I'll be right back."

"He's not doing so hot," Deeks commented after Sam was out of earshot.

"No, hopefully he'll calm down after Callen is out of surgery," Kensi said.

"You're assuming that everything is going to go okay with Callen," Deeks said quietly. "We don't really know what's going on with him. What if things don't go well?"

"I'm trying not to let my mind go there," Kensi stated. "I'm choosing to believe everything is going to be fine with him. He's strong, Deeks. He's not going to give up."

Deeks almost asked what good false hopes were if things did go downhill, but he knew such a statement would only upset Kensi, which he didn't want to do. "I hope you're right, baby," he said, squeezing her hand and offering a faint smile. "I really do hope you're right."

xxxxx

After they finished eating, Sam, Deeks and Kensi headed up to the fifth floor surgical waiting room. When they got there, they found Hetty sitting there.

"Hetty," Sam said, at first surprised to see her there. "You…there hasn't been any word on G yet, has there?" He couldn't imagine there had been any word, not unless…He shook his head slightly as if that action in itself would keep any such disturbing thoughts away.

"I haven't heard anything yet," Hetty said kindly. "Sit down, Sam. I dare say, you've had a very rough day."

"Yeah, well…I've certainly had better days," Sam stated as he sat down beside Hetty. He'd definitely had worse as well…much worse.

"Can I get you anything, Hetty?" Deeks asked.

Hetty smiled at Deeks and shook her head. "No thank you, Mr. Deeks. I'm fine. Please, why don't you and Ms. Blye take a seat?" At that moment, they were the only ones occupying the small waiting room. Hetty turned her attention back to Sam. "How are you holding up?"

"Me? I'm fine, Hetty," Sam said. "It's G I'm worried about."

"Well, I worry about all of you, Mr. Hanna," Hetty said. "Both physically and emotionally…"

"You don't need to worry about me, Hetty," Sam stated.

"Oh but I do worry about you," Hetty said. "I know that what affects your partner affects you, no matter how much you may try to deny it."

"I'm not denying it," Sam said, sighing heavily.

"That's good," Hetty said, looking at him seriously. "And I trust you're not blaming yourself for what happened?"

Sam didn't say anything in response to Hetty's question and Kensi and Deeks fidgeted in their chairs, looking increasingly uncomfortable. Sam finally broke the silence. "No, I'm not blaming myself."

"Good, good…" Hetty nodded in approval. "Now why don't you tell me what happened."

"G was shot," Sam said.

"That bit I know," Hetty stated. "You were down in those tunnels for quite some time though. I'm going to take an educated guess that there is more to the story than that?"

"You can read it all in my report when I get it done," Sam stated.

"Humor me, Mr. Hanna," Hetty said. "We've got some time now. I'd like to know more about what happened."

Sam ran his hand over his face and shook his head. "I don't think you would like to know more, Hetty."

Hetty stared at Sam for a long moment before speaking. "I assure you, Mr. Hanna. I won't break upon hearing whatever it is you don't wish to tell me."

"I'd really rather not talk about it," Sam stated.

"And I'd rather not have to order you to do so," Hetty said, "but I will if you force me."

"Fadhil's men…they made things worse for him, Hetty," Sam said. "The details aren't important."

"Oh from the way you're reacting, I'd say the details are a good deal more important than you think they are."

"Hetty, maybe it would be better just to let it go for right now," Deeks finally broke into the discussion, not wanting to witness the clear pain in Sam's eyes any longer.

"And do you know the details of what happened, Mr. Deeks?" Hetty asked, turning to him.

"Some of them," Deeks admitted. "But Hetty…"

"Fine, Hetty, I'll tell you," Sam snapped, unwilling to force Deeks to reveal what little he knew. Sometimes Hetty was like a damn dog with a bone. It could be so aggravating. "One of Fadhil's men took the bullet out of him. They strapped G onto a metal table and performed surgery down there."

"Without anesthesia?" Hetty paled as she began to grasp the full horror of what had befallen her agent and what Sam had been forced to witness. Now she regretted having pressed the issue with him.

"Yes, without anesthesia," Sam said. "Finally he passed out."

"I am sorry, Sam," Hetty said, appearing very remorseful. Sometimes she didn't know what got into her. "I can't imagine what you went through having to see that."

Sam shook his head as he, once again, recalled the image of what his partner had gone through, knowing he'd never be able to forget it. "He…he didn't make a sound," he whispered. "I think he was trying not to for my benefit, but…I almost wish he had. Fadhil…he said I should be proud of him that he hadn't ."

"Sick bastard," Deeks said, clearly affected by what Sam had described as was Kensi whose head was resting on Deeks' shoulder. Both junior team members had tears in their eyes.

"Yeah well…it wasn't good," Sam said as he stared down at the floor, trying hard to contain his emotions. "I wouldn't want to see anyone go through that, but especially not G. I hate that this happened to him…"

At that point, the small group became silent, each member lost in his or her own thoughts, as they continued to wait for word on Callen's condition.


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks to those of you who let me know this got deleted - I don't know where my brain is sometimes!_

 _As always, I very much appreciate all of you who are reading and commenting on this story. It really means a lot to me. :)_

xxxxx

"Family of Mr. Callen?" The doctor asked as he walked into the waiting room. "I'm Dr. Fitzpatrick. I performed his surgery."

"That's us," Sam said, appearing visibly anxious. "Is he okay?"

"Well, it was a little bit touch and go during the surgery. He lost a lot of blood and his blood pressure dropped significantly a couple of times. Whoever performed the previous procedure, did remove the bullet, but did a rudimentary job, at best. They were careless and clumsy and didn't do him any favors. However, I do believe we were able to repair the damage that they, and the bullet, did. He also didn't react well to the anesthesia and was quite ill while in Recovery.

"But he's better now?" Sam asked.

"We've stabilized him for the time being. However, I'm not comfortable with putting him in a regular room just yet. I'm having him transferred to the ICU, at least for the next 24 hours. I want his vital signs to be closely monitored and he really needs to rest. I'm also going to limit him to one visitor, at least until early tomorrow."

"The ICU?" Sam asked uneasily, his mind already going into overdrive about possible complications. "That doesn't sound good…"

"It's more of a precaution than anything," Dr. Fitzpatrick said. "Like I said, I just want him monitored closely, in case his vitals suddenly change significantly. In any case, it's on the seventh floor. I'm going to head back now to facilitate everything."

"Thank you very much, Doctor," Hetty said, smiling at him. The doctor nodded and left the room.

"I'd like to stay with him," Sam said, addressing Hetty and the rest of the team.

Hetty gazed at Sam, knowing how much it meant to him to stay with his partner. "That's fine, Mr. Hanna," she said. "I trust you will keep us apprised of his condition?"

"Of course, Hetty," Sam said before turning to Kensi and Deeks. "I really appreciate what you two did for us today. You likely saved G's life by finding us as quickly as you did. I'm not sure how long he could have lasted down there…"

"It wasn't just us, Sam," Kensi said softly.

"We're just glad it wasn't worse," Deeks said. "We'll come by tomorrow. Hopefully, he'll at least be allowed two visitors by them."

"Give him our best," Kensi said. "Tell him we hope he's feeling better really soon."

"Of course," said Sam. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

With that, goodbyes were said and they all began to walk in the direction of the elevators so that Hetty, Kensi and Deeks could head home and Sam could head up to the ICU.

xxxxx

Sam quietly entered Callen's ICU room and took a seat by his bed. Then he gave his friend a once over with his eyes. He was pale and the various wires attached to his body and leading to monitors seemed somewhat ominous to Sam, but he knew they were there to safeguard his friend. He was also grateful that G wasn't on a ventilator, knowing how his partner felt about those.

Callen shifted uneasily in his sleep and then murmured, "Sam? Sam, make him stop. He's hurting me."

Sam knew Callen needed his rest, but he had a good idea what he was dreaming about and knew that was not the kind of rest he needed. Very gently, he placed his hand on Callen's shoulder. "G?" he said softly. "Wake up. You're okay now. You're in the hospital. You're safe."

"Sam?" Callen's eyes opened and he looked up at his partner, appearing drowsy and confused.

"You okay?" Sam asked with concern.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm okay," Callen replied, relieved to be warm and relatively comfortable in a place where he could actually see. "I'm in the ICU?" he asked after taking stock of his surroundings. "Why?"

"It's just a precaution, G," Sam said reassuringly. "Your vitals were a little whacked out during surgery. I guess your blood pressure dropped pretty low. They just want to keep an eye on you and make sure you're stabilized."

"They did more surgery here?" Callen asked, looking worried. "Is everything okay?"

Sam nodded. "They were just making sure Fadhil's man didn't do too much damage when he removed the bullet."

Callen shuddered inwardly and his complexion blanched as he remembered the makeshift surgery. "Felt like he did," he stated. He knew that was one memory he wasn't going to be able to erase any time soon.

"I know… I know it did," Sam said. He ran his hand over his face then looked at his partner solemnly. "You have no idea how sorry I am about that, how much I wished I could have done something to prevent it."

"There wasn't anything you could have done, Sam," Callen said, easily recognizing the guilt in his partner's eyes. "It wasn't your fault."

"I just…I wish you hadn't had to go through that…"

"I'm pretty sure it was much worse on you than it was on me," Callen admitted honestly. What they had done to him had been pretty much the worst pain imaginable, but the thought of watching them do that to Sam, was even more horrific. He would take the pain himself, every time, rather than have to watch his partner go through it.

"Okay, enough talking G," Sam said. "The doctor specifically said you need to rest so try to sleep now. I'm going to be right here."

"You don't have to stay, Sam," Callen said as he let his eyes close, thinking that sleep was actually a really good idea. "You should go home."

Sam didn't answer, but just watched as Callen's breathing evened out and he was once again asleep. He hoped that this time, his partner would have pleasant dreams. He also knew that he wasn't going anywhere. He was staying right there by G's side.

xxxxx

"Hell of a day," Deeks said as he unlocked the front door, then let Kensi step into the house ahead of him.

"I felt really bad for Sam," Kensi said as she walked into the living room and sank onto the sofa with a weary sigh. Deeks patted Monty who was excitedly scampering around, then sat down next to Kensi.

"At least it looks like Callen is going to pull through," Deeks said. "That's the best medicine for what's ailing Sam."

"Hopefully, he'll be okay," Kensi said, still not entirely convinced.

"Why? Don't you think he will be?" Deeks asked, giving her a curious look.

"All I know is I'll feel better when Callen is out of the ICU and even better yet when he's out of the hospital."

"Well of course…that goes without saying," Deeks said. "In any case, I'm really bushed. I'm in favor of a snack and then heading to bed."

"I think I'm going to soak in the tub for a bit," Kensi said.

"Do you mind if I take Monty out for a quick walk and grab a quick shower first?" Deeks asked. He knew he needed one after spending half the day digging and then traipsing through underground tunnels. "Then I'll fill up the tub for you, just the way you like it."

"I'm in no hurry. Thank you, Deeks. That sounds perfect," Kensi said, giving him a smile, "and I'll go with you to walk Monty." After a day like today, she just felt better being with Deeks than having him out there alone.

xxxxx

Hetty poured herself a glass of 2014 Chateau Leoville-Barton and settled down on a comfortable chair in her sitting room. "Mr. Callen, you and your team are going to put me in an early grave if you keep getting into these scrapes," she said as she took a sip of the wine.

She had wanted to stay at the hospital and sit with Callen, at least until she had been able to speak with him. However, when the doctor had specified only one visitor, she hadn't had the heart to keep Sam away from his partner, even for a short time. She had easily seen how torn up Sam was about what had happened and knew he needed to be at Callen's side.

This was one of those times when she had second thoughts about Callen's chosen career path. It was a thought that troubled her periodically, usually when he had been hurt in some way. Although the calling of living dangerously and taking risks seemed to run in his blood and he was just so damned good at it, she couldn't help but wonder if she could have guided him in a different direction if she had chosen to do so. Of course, she had seen his potential at an early age and had never even considered such a thing, but now that she was older, and she hoped wiser, especially on a day like today, she wondered if he could have lived a different and "safer" life. Perhaps he had other hidden talents that she had never even seen. She wondered if he ever had such thoughts or regrets. She really hoped that he didn't. Above all else, she wanted him to be happy.

xxxxx

In spite of the rather uncomfortable chair and the overall hustle and bustle of the ICU, Sam managed to sleep relatively well during the night. He had awoken periodically and each time had been gratified to find Callen peacefully sleeping with his monitor readings appearing to be normal. At 7 a.m., Sam's eyes opened and he glanced over at Callen to see his partner watching him, an amused look on his face.

"Hey G," Sam said as he struggled to sit up and found himself to be sore and stiff as a board. "Damn." He slowly tried to move his muscles without causing himself too much pain.

"That can't feel good," Callen said. "You should have listened to me, big guy. I told you to go home."

"How are you feeling today, G?" Sam asked as he slowly rolled his neck, first to the left, and then back to the right.

"Not too bad, actually," Callen replied. "I managed to sleep pretty well, so that was a plus." He also found that he was still relatively pain-free. He knew this was a result of whatever drugs he was on, but at this point, he was very willing for them to continue to work their magic, not wanting a reminder of his botched surgery in the underground tunnels. "They must have me on some pretty decent meds…I'd say I'm in considerably less pain than you are right now."

"Well that's good, G. You shouldn't be in pain," Sam commented as he studied his partner with his eyes. He looked better than he would have thought he would, after all that had happened the previous day. It made him believe that everything really was going to be okay with him.

Just then, Dr. Fitzpatrick walked into the cubicle. "Well good morning, Mr. Callen," he said, giving his patient a pleased look. "I'm not sure if you remember me or not from Recovery. I'm Dr. Fitzpatrick. I performed your surgery."

"G…I'm going to step out and give you some privacy," Sam said as he quickly got up from his chair and left the room.

"I kind of remember you," Callen said. "So, doc, how am I doing?"

"You tell me. You're looking a whole lot better than the last time I saw you."

"Considering I was throwing up at the time, that's not surprising," Callen said with a bit of a smirk.

"Well, let me take a look at you and we'll find out," Dr. Fitzpatrick said. He then proceeded to thoroughly examine Callen. At the end of the exam, he stood back, looking satisfied. "Considering what you've gone through, you're doing very well. I see no signs of infection and your vital signs were good overnight. If you continue on like this today, we'll transfer you t a regular room on the surgical ward tonight."

"What about the catheter?" Callen asked. "Can I lose it?"

"Tonight," said the doctor with a smile. "I understand how you feel but it's not too far off."

Callen momentarily considered kicking up a fuss, but decided it really wasn't worth being labeled a difficult patient in yet another hospital, at least not yet. "Okay," he said agreeably.

"I'll have some clear liquids sent in for your breakfast and lunch. If you tolerate those okay, we'll advance you to full liquids this evening."

"Sounds good," Callen said, wondering if advancing from clear to full liquids was really anything to get excited about. Not that he was hungry anyhow, so he guessed it really didn't matter.

"Okay, you rest up today. Take it easy and stay in bed. If things remain the same, we'll transfer you out this evening.

Callen nodded. "Thanks a lot, Doctor."

With that, Dr. Fitzpatrick left and shortly after Sam returned to the room. "Hey, G…what did the doctor say?"

"He said if things stay the same, I'll be transferred to a regular room tonight. Until then, I guess I'm supposed to stay put and not cause any trouble," Callen replied with a smirk.

"Probably a good idea," Sam said. "What about the one visitor rule? Did he loosen the reins on that, at least?"

Callen looked at Sam blankly. "One visitor rule?" he asked.

"Yeah…he wanted you to really rest so he said you could only have one visitor at a time."

"That's kind of overkill, isn't it?" Callen asked.

"I don't know," Sam replied with an edge to his voice. "I don't know what the protocol is for patients who have had surgery without anesthesia. Why don't you tell me?"

Callen stared back at Sam, looking both confused and surprised, but he remained silent. Almost immediately, Sam apologized. "I'm sorry, G," he said contritely. "I have no idea why I said that. I didn't mean it."

"No big deal, Sam," Callen said with a shrug.

"Of course it's a big deal." Sam knew he had sounded as if he was blaming Callen for having been victimized by the surgery, which was the furthest thing from the truth. "I really am sorry."

"Its fine, Sam," Callen said, trying to reassure his partner. It was obvious to him that Sam was extremely bothered by what had happened and likely still feeling guilty as well. He was pretty sure he'd feel the same way if the situations were reversed so he was more than willing to cut Sam some slack. "I do think you should head home though."

"Seriously? You're kicking me out over this?" Sam asked.

"I'm not kicking you out, Sam," Callen said calmly. "But I know you could use some rest, a decent meal and from the looks of you, no offense, a shower. You can come back later after you've gotten yourself together a bit. I'll still be here. I'm not going anywhere."

"I don't like leaving you alone," Sam admitted, not meeting Callen's eyes.

"Nothing is going to happen to me," Callen said, trying to put Sam's mind at ease. "I'm going to be okay."

"I'll leave later…after someone else gets here to keep you company."

Callen was about to protest again, but something about the look in Sam's eyes stopped him. He didn't know if it was the brutal way Michelle had been taken from his partner or what, but Sam seemed to be very reluctant to leave his side and for the time being anyway, Callen would go with it. "Okay, but at least go to the cafeteria and get yourself some breakfast," he said. "I've got a delicious clear liquid breakfast coming and I don't want to have to dine alone." He smiled at his partner and was grateful when Sam returned the smile.

"All right, G. I'll go get myself something to eat. I'll be right back."

"Like I said, Sam, I'm not going anywhere." He watched as Sam left the room, then settled back against the pillows to rest until his partner returned.


End file.
